1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a system for recording traffic accidents, for example, using TV cameras to obtain visual images of vehicle accidents and storing such visual images for immediate and/or later use.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The prior art is deficient in recording and storing visual images of vehicle accidents. Suggestions have been made to use a collision sound to start visual recording of an accident, such as using a microphone located besides a road to pick up the collision sound. But, such a suggested approach is not sufficiently accurate to detect traffic accidents since it would depend on the loudness and frequency components of the sound of the collision and would also require a multiplicity of microphones.
A vehicle traffic congestion increases, studies need to be conducted on various aspects of traffic accidents. Unfortunately, visual recordings of actual accidents in real time which can be captured with appropriate exact timing do not exist in large numbers. By observing prior actual accidents, substantial information on causes and remedies can be obtained. However, currently, such studies are hampered by insufficient amount of such stored images of prior vehicle accidents. It would also be helpful to resolution of disputes involving traffic accidents and the like if actual real time visual images of accidents were available.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a system for accurately recording and storing visual images of vehicle accidents in real time.
The foregoing and other objects are attained by the invention, wherein an accident recognition unit is disposed on a vehicle so that upon occurrence of an accident, such as involving the vehicle, the unit transmits a trigger signal to recording unit provided along the side of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which recording unit uses a TV camera to continuously obtain visual images of a selected portion of the road and a storage unit which stores the visual images obtained by the TV camera. The recording unit receives the trigger signal to control the storage unit to store and transmit to a central control the visual images of the selected portion of the road, where the vehicle is involved in an accident, for a selected time before, during and after the accident. The trigger signal can be sent to the central control which then sends a signal to a particular recording unit to commence the same procedure. In this manner, an accurate, real time, visual image of the selected road area before, during and after the accident for a desired time duration of each period, is obtained. In this manner, a plurality of such vehicle accidents and visual images thereof can be stored at a central location for later use, research, study, and, for example, as testimony in a trial where issues involving the accident need to be resolved.